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Patented Oat. 28,1919.

E. 3. LUDWICK. snm TRE/Ammo, oa LINING. APPLICATION FILED MAR 1,320,016.

'wm nu'mmA PLANuaRAbri'c'l, WASHING-ronny;

FREDERICK J. LUDWICK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STAIR TREAT), PAD, OR LINING'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Application filed March 7, 1919. Serial No. 281,173.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. LUD- wicii, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, Stateof Pennsylvania, Ahave invented a new and useful Stair Tread, Pad, orLining, of which the following is a specication.

My invention consists of a stair tread, pad or lining composed of a bodyof cork in the condition of granules or shavings formed into acomparatively solid. and homogeneous mass of cork which is pliable,resilient, strong and durable in its nature, and possessing smooth anduniform surfaces, a reinforcement in the form of a mesh of wire orequivalent with which the adjacent portions of the body are joined, thesame adding strength to the body and preventing disintegration of thesame, and a guard within the body at the nose portion thereof adapted toprevent chipping of said portion and adding elasticity thereto.

It consists nally of an air cushion in .the underside of said bodyadapted to permit a slight sinkage of said body when occupied addingadditional elasticity or resiliency to the latter.

The invention is satisfactorily illustrated in the accompanying drawingbut the important instrumentalities thereof may be varied, and so it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificdetails shown and described, as long as they are within the spirit orscope of the claims.

Figure l represents a perspective yiew of a stair tread, pad or liningembodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section thereof on line 2 2 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a transverse section thereof on the line 3 3 Fig. 1.

Fig. i represents a perspective view of a portion thereof partly brokenaway..

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the gures.

Referring to the drawings.

l designates the body of the tread, pad or lining, the same beingcomposed of a mass of cork in granulated or shavings form within whichmass is the reinforce 2 consisting of a piece of woven wire or mesh-likematerial which extends in the longitudinal direction of the mass. Thefore part o f said reinforce is turned upwardly forming the elbow 3which is salient from the reinforce and occupies the nose portion of thetread, pad or lining. Said reinforce and elbow are embedded in the mass.Some of the mass is lpla-ced in a mold, the reinforce and elbow locatedin position thereon, and the final quantity of the mass applied, thuscompleting the body of the article. The body is then heated andcompressed whereby its shape is produced, and owing to the oil in thecork causes the granules or shavings to adhere to each other, some ofwhich pass through the interstices of the mesh and clenches therewith,producing a homogeneous compact and solid mass, resulting in theformation of the tread, pad or lining of pliable, resilient, strong anddurable nature with smooth and uniform surfaces'. The nose portion ofthe article is sustained upwardly additionally reinforced and renderedresilient by the elbow 3 especially where the feet primanily strike thesame in the occupation of the article and so said nose portion isguarded against chipping, fracture and disintegration.

In the underside of the body l is the recess 4 which provides an airchamber or cushion therein permitting sinkage of the body whereby thelatter when occupied has additional resiliency imparted to it, and thetread, pad or lining is rendered more elastic in its nature.

It is evident that the article requires no iiiclosure such as a sack orcase of fibrous material, it being complete of itself, and if desired,the mass of cork may be colored and the surface of the article may beornamented by designs thereon in any suitable manner.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A tread, pad or lining of the characte stated composed of ahomogeneous body of compressed granules or shavings of cork, and asustaining guard for the nose portion of the body embedded in the saidportion.

2. A tread, pad or lining of the character stated composed of a body ofcompressed granules or shavings of cork, a reinforcement in said body,and a sustaining guard for the nose portion of said body addingresiliency to said portion and further reinforcing tlie same.

3. A tread, pad or lining of the character stated composed of a body ofcompressed granules or shevings of cork, a reinforcement of mesh-likematerial embedded in seid body, and an elbow of seid materiel in thenose portion of said body.

4. A tread, pad or lining of the character stated composed of ahomogeneous body of compressed granules or shavings of cork, and an aircushion in the underside of said body.

5. A tread, pad or lining of the character stated composed of ahomogeneous body of compressed granules or shaw/ings of cork, areinforce of mesh-like material embedded in said body, and an aircushion in the underside of said body.

6. A tread, pad or lining of the character stated composed of ahomogeneous 'body of compressed granules or shavings of cork, e 20FREDK. J. LUDVICK.

lVitnesses E. R. SCHOFIELD, GEORGE W. MAoOVm.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

